“Blush is trending,” says the makeup artist Ernesto Casillas, referring to the product’s ongoing popularity on TikTok. “A lot of people are calling it ‘blush blindness’ when someone overapplies it.” For advice on creating a more nuanced look, we turned to three people well attuned to the product’s capabilities: the comedian, actress and “Saturday Night Live” cast member Chloe Fineman, known for her uncanny impressions; the American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside, who returns to the stage this month for the company’s fall season; and Casillas, whose clients include the actresses Zendaya and Ayo Edebiri. Here are their tips.
Chloe Fineman, 36, comedian and actress
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Blush is a survival tool for me, in terms of being like, “I’m healthy! I got sleep! Right…?” I’ve tried almost every cream blush. I’m packing at least two versions in my purse right now. My tried-and-true is Tata Harper’s Peachy, which is also the name of my dog. The bronzy, peachy colour makes me look not ill. And Victoria Beckham has amazing stick blushes. I follow the makeup artist Jo Baker and she used this bright orange one on [the actress] Daisy Edgar-Jones. I do have to blend it out, but I like the way it looks.
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I spread one or two fingers of blush on the apples of the cheeks, then continue up to my temples. If I have any left over, I put it on my eyelids. And if I want to be like all the makeup girlies, I put it on my nose. I might as well look like the sun touched me for once in my life in New York.
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I have the best makeup artist, Daniela Zivkovic, [for “Saturday Night Live”]. For Saturdays, we do powder blush [which can be set] because we have makeup at 8 p.m. that has to last us for the live show at 11:30. Charlotte Tilbury has a highlighter-bronzer that we use; she also makes lovely blush-highlighter palettes. I love Charlotte Tilbury. Her videos are so charming and iconic. Today a package came, and it was a wig like Charlotte’s hair that I forgot I ordered at three in the morning, being like, “Oh, I should do an impression.”
James Whiteside, 40, dancer and choreographer
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I use Sephora’s Colourful Blush for pretty much everything — for the stage, and if I want to look polished for red-carpet events. I keep repurchasing because it’s so easy and cheap. I call it Sunburn, and I put it anywhere I would get a burn: my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, my brow bone. Bella [dancer Isabella Boylston] makes fun of me because it’s such an extreme colour — it’s called Over the Top — but I apply it really sparingly with an angled brush.
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Onstage I also use a tritone bronzer that has highlight, shadow and sort of a rouge. I apply it at the top of my forehead, under my cheekbones — all over, basically — to give myself more of a living-creature look as opposed to pale zombie, which is very easily achieved under the bright stage lights. [A good option is Guerlain’s Terracotta Light.]
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There’s also a Fenty Beauty cream blush that I adore. It’s a standard grannyish blush colour — very natural-looking, no shimmer.
Ernesto Casillas, 35, makeup artist
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There’s a three-step blush process I’ve been doing lately to ensure I get maximum colour payoff and glow. I start with a cream blush; I use some by NudeStix, some by Danessa Myricks. Afterward, I’ll do a layer of a luminous blush powder to set the cream for longevity. Hourglass makes these amazing palettes. Then I’ll go over that with a balmy blush, like Makeup by Mario’s, which brings back that dewy, glowy look that powder can’t give.
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I use brushes for everything. You get more precision. I like Morphe’s synthetic M240 Angled Liquid Bronzer Brush for cream blush, and Hakuhodo’s fluffier, natural-hair Blush Brush Round and Flat for a powder blush. For the balms, I do sometimes use my fingers because I feel they won’t disrupt the foundation underneath.
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You can’t judge how a blush looks in the pan. You have to test it because your undertone might change the way it looks on you. A lot of cream blushes have a slightly white base, so when you apply them on deeper skin, it can pick up as too ashy. You want to go with a jewel tone.
Bottega Veneta's new fragrance collection is inspired by its Venetian roots. Image courtesy of Bottega Veneta. 
Photograph and product images courtesy of MxSkincare. 
"Le Labo C39 100ml". Photograph courtesy of Le Labo. 
Ascension Cosmetic Medicine is an award-winning clinic founded by cosmetic physician Dr. Scott Allison. Photograph courtesy of Ascension Cosmetic Medicine. 